Aluminum vs Vinyl Siding: Which One?

Your home’s exterior cladding does more than just provide aesthetic appeal. Some siding materials are better than others in keeping your home protected and insulated. One of the biggest debates about siding is aluminum vs vinyl siding.

Living in the Midwest, you’ll need to choose a siding material that can withstand the toughest weather conditions. Not only do you want siding that’ll look great for many years, but one that’ll keep your home comfortable year round too.

We’ve narrowed the choices down to aluminum and vinyl as they’re both common materials.

In this article, we’ll go over the advantages and disadvantages of aluminum vs vinyl siding so you can make the right decision for your home.

Aluminum vs Vinyl Siding: Durability

Durability is one the most important features of exterior cladding. The last thing you want as a homeowner is a worn-down looking house because your siding isn’t up to standards.

Both aluminum and vinyl siding have good durability but when you take all factors into consideration, vinyl siding is the front runner.

Vinyl and aluminum siding are both very resistant to wear and exposure, but aluminum siding is very prone to denting and scratching. Vinyl siding is much stronger and it’s often twice as thick as aluminum.

You won’t have to worry about anything such as hail or stray baseballs damaging your vinyl siding. It’s impact resistant and can absorb anything thrown at it without creating any eye sores on your home’s exterior.

Vinyl vs Aluminum: Affordability

The cost difference between aluminum vs vinyl siding is very minimal. Aluminum siding is usually a little cheaper than vinyl siding but there’s a reason for that.

Vinyl siding has a better cost recovery and will increase the value of your home for resale more than aluminum would. Since aluminum is more prone to damage, it can hurt your home’s value over time.

In terms of cost and affordability, we believe that vinyl siding is the winner. While you may pay a little more upfront, vinyl siding is the better investment since it’ll help improve your home’s value.

If you’re only considering upfront costs, then aluminum siding usually beats out vinyl, but you get what you pay for.

Aluminum vs Vinyl Siding: Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is probably the most important factor to consider when deciding between aluminum vs vinyl siding. Your exterior cladding needs to be able to keep heated and cooled air inside your home so you don’t have to put added stress on your furnace and air conditioner.

Vinyl siding is the clear winner of this category. Aluminum siding doesn’t perform well in extreme weather conditions. Aluminum absorbs heat in the summer and causes your home to become hot quickly. You’ll have to rely heavily on your air conditioner to stay cool.

Also, since aluminum isn’t as durable as vinyl, there’s a higher chance of aluminum getting damaged which can lead to cracks, leaks and holes causing it to lose energy efficiency.

Vinyl siding is resistant to cracking, warping, rotting and will protect against any rodents from burrowing their way underneath the siding.

When you choose Feldco for your vinyl siding, you can rest assured knowing that you’re getting the most energy efficient siding on the market. It’s insulated with a full thermal support system that wraps around your home like a blanket.

Plus, our siding has a backing system that gives it four times the r-value as conventional siding and can reduce your energy costs by as much as 20%.

Aluminum vs Vinyl Siding: Maintenance

Maintenance is also an important factor to consider when deciding between aluminum vs vinyl siding. You want a material that’ll require the least amount of work so you don’t have to worry about spending money on repairs or touch-ups.

Vinyl siding gets the nod in this category as well. Aluminum siding can be dented or scratched easily and will need to be repaired or replaced depending on how bad the damage is.

Plus, aluminum is prone to fading and will require repainting every so often. Vinyl siding will never fade because the colors are baked in during manufacturing ensuring that it’ll look as good as it did on installation day for many years to come.

The only maintenance that vinyl siding will require is a good cleaning every now and then. Other than that, you can rest assured knowing your home’s beauty will remain intact with vinyl siding.

Vinyl vs Aluminum Siding: Variety

When you’re thinking about replacing your siding with something new, you’ll either want to keep the same look or be able to give your home a fresh and updated face lift.

Aluminum siding has gone through a lot of advances, but still lacks high aesthetic appeal. It’ll always have a metallic appearance which is enough to steer many homeowners away.

Vinyl Is the Clear Winner of Aluminum vs Vinyl Siding

Even in affordability, vinyl can still be considered the winner since you’ll end up saving money over time.

When the time comes to replace your siding, look no further than Feldco. We’ve proudly served the Midwest for over 40 years and provide the most energy efficient and beautiful vinyl siding on the market.

Also, your vinyl siding from Feldco will be professionally installed to ensure a proper and secure fit. Get a free quote right now for your vinyl siding replacement project.

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